Samsung 970P LCD Display

For some time now it has generally been accepted that Samsung has been leading the LCD monitor industry. There is a lot of competition in this field but Samsung has done a good job of staying a bit ahead of their competitors, usually in terms of product specifications, but also design. With the ever increasing prevelance of LCD displays Samsung’s advantage has been tougher to maintain and the margin by which they lead the industry has slimmed.

[photo courtesy of samsung]

In the 970P Samsung is going back to the principles which earned them their lead in the LCD market. This product is clearly an update to the acclaimed 193P, with a few twists thrown in, including a revamped design, unique connectivity, and an all new LCD panel. The 970P is by far the most interesting model of all those Samsung recently released- it will be turning more than a few heads year and probably setting the tone for many displays in 2006.

Pricing and Availability

This display is rather new but, surprisingly, availability is good. This could change with the holiday season, but for now it should not be hard to get one of these from an online retailer. The price of this product has yet to drop very much, which is to be expected given the time of year and how innovative the product is. The price should level off early into 2006, once the holidays are over and the CES hype has died down.

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The 970P has a glossy white styling which is Ipod-esque, but maintains its orginalilty and aesthetic appeal. The design is eye-catching and is impossible not to notice, especially when it is placed next to your average computer case or desk. While the 19″ LCD panel is the heart of the product, the unique base could most aptly be described as its soul.

The 970P’s cabinet begins with a large square base and leads up to a triple hinge post which holds up the LCD panel. For a few years now Samsung has designed monitors like the 172x, 920T, and the 193P around a dual hinge base, which offers users very good tilt and rotational adjustment but limited height adjustment. The triple hinge design adds a third piece at the end of the post which neither helps nor hurts rotation and tilt, but greatly increasing the available height adjustment. With this design Samsung has remedied the dual hinge’s limiting factor. The maximum height of the bottom of the LCD’s viewable area is 6.75″ off of the surface of the desk. The minimum height is a bit under an inch (flush with the base).

Taking a closer look at the base we can see more of the 970P’s interesting features. The greyish circle in the middle of the base can be swiveled so that if you would like to turn the panel the entire monitor does not have to be turned; this is the type of thoughtful feature which people have come to expect from a high-end display. The small bar on the front of the base (far side in the picture) is the 970P’s only button, a power switch.

By now readers are probably wondering, what is that small box and cord hanging from the rear of the monitor? If you have not yet figured it out, this piece has the display’s input and power connections. The 970P can only use a DVI-I input and a proprietary 14V power connection. This small box only had room for a single display input, which means that the 970P cannot connect to two displays at once, something which almost all other LCD monitors can do. Theoretically, using a DVI-I splitter cable this single input should be able to receive two signals, an analog and a digital, which can be toggled between. Samsung does not say anything about this in the product literature but they engineers have confirmed that this will work. The cable is not included, but can be found at specialty stores online.

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The lack of inputs on the monitor and the use of an external power converter enabled Samsung’s designers to give the display an extremely slim profile. Looking over the entire display, it is impossible to find any excess spaces consumed- this display was completely stripped down in order to get it to look as cool as possible. This meant no on-screen display (OSD) controls on the monitor and inputs which are on the attached unit. The result of this is a beautiful monitor which sacrifices certain aspects of practicality for clean lines and a futuristic appeal.

One the rear of the LCD panel is a grey circle, about which the display area can be rotated. The LCD can be rotated either 90 or 180 degrees, a feature which users have come to expect despite how rarely this feature is used. The amount portait mode is used may change though, because the 970P can sense when the display is rotated. Samsung’s Magic Pivot application, if installed, will automatically rotate the computers picture to match the user’s rotation of the display. This makes portrait and upside-down mode all the more practical and a lot easier to take advantage of.

The adjustability of the triple hinge base makes monitor a prime canditate for wall mounting, but this is not possible unless the proper fittings for the base are purchased separately. Looking back on the design and intentions of this display it is not really a surprise that this was part left out, but it would be a nice inclusion. The large square base would make he 970P look great when mounted.

The triple hinge design may seem needlessly complex compared to other manufacturer’s solutions but one advantage it has that is often overlooked is portability. The hinge design allows the display to be compressed to about double the height of the AA battery in the picture above. This is quite small for a 19″ LCD and something to consider if you are in need of a cool looking display to bring to the floor of an expo or something along those lines.

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Despite all the attention given to the base, Samsung did not forget to upgrade the LCD panel. The 970P’s LCD represents what is touted as being one of the most technologically advanced specimens on the market today. Other companies may have Samsung’s panels beaten in certain specific areas, but when it comes to the best all-round panel the 970P is definitely up there. For example, Samsung’s competitors have displays with faster response times or a higher contrast ratio, but when it comes to combining all these specs in one product, Samsung has made it their goal to do better than the rest.

Looking at the displays specifications we can see that the 970P does not lead the industry in any of the “crowd-pleasers”, namely brightness, contrast ratio, and response time, but it does put forth a very respectable showing. The 6 ms gray-to-gray response time is fast enough for any use, even gaming and movie watching, and the high contrast ratio makes this a great display for work. The 178/178 viewing angles are particularly impressive and will add to the 970P’s versatility and appeal as a monitor which has uses beyond the workstation.

The 970P comes along with wiring for VGA and DVI connections. Pictured above are two cables, the left one connects to a video card’s 15-pin D-Sub and converts the analog signal to DVI-A (analog only) so it can be connected to the display. The right wire is for uses with a DVI connector on a video card and features two DVI-D (digital only)plugs. Any of these DVI plugs can connect to the 970P’s DVI-I (digital and analog) input.

In addition, the monitor comes along with a software CD, power converter, warranty information, and a standard power cable. The 970P is backed by a three-year parts and labor warranty.

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After a thorough examination it was time to test the SyncMaster 970P. This was done with a HIS Radeon X800 GTO video card and the digital connection, which is the best way to take advantage of the potential of a LCD display. After everything was plugged, the drivers were installed, and then the three programs which go along with the 970P were installed. These programs, Natural Color, Magic Tune, and Magic Rotation, help users take advantage of the display’s features, though on MagicTune is necessary because it acts in place of the OSD.

When reviewing the 193P+ display I went pretty indepth explaining the MagicTune system so feel free to brush up on it. Simply put, the 970P has no buttons on it so all the features like brightness, contrast, and color, must be controlled through software. MagicTune is easy and quick to use, so it is a nice departure from the OSD controls which monitors have always used. The 970P’s MagicTune system is just about the same as that on previous displays. As before the most interesting use of MagicTune is Magic Color. This is a feature which automatically toggles a number of settings and increase the color saturation of the display, making it more visually appealing. Magic Color can either be put into a number of different modes including full (on), off, Intelligent, and Magic Zone. Magic Zone actually turns Magic Color on only in the area of the display where a movie picture is present. This feature is ideal for movie viewing where you would like extra color saturation and brightess, even if it is at the expense of color accuracy.

During use, it was hard not to like the 970P. The display itself looks great, and the picture it produces is sharp and super clean. The high contrast ratio makes text stand out and gives the display a crispness that is lacking in many other LCDs in this range. The 6 ms response time means that there is no ghosting or blurring during fast action- 6 ms may not be the fastest display on the market, but it is more than adequate. Viewing the monitor is aided by the adjustability of the LCD panel which allows it to go to a comfortable height, something which many of Samsung’s more stylish displays have not been able to do.

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When tested with Colorvision’s Spyder2 PRO color calibration tool, an external device which tests the image produced by the LCD, the 970P held its own, but showed some signs of weakness. This tool was used to test brightness and color accuracy. The testing was done with Magic Color turned off; though the color is very appealing with it on, it is not very accurate due to tweaks to color and seemingly to tint and hue was well.

The first test conducted was brightess. The 970P is said to have a brightness of 250 cd/m2 but our testing showed a maximum of 243.9 cd/m2. This is not far behind the advertised number and though the 970P is not incredibly bright, it is sufficiently so.

When testing the color, initial analysis showed weak red and overly strong green coloring. This is the case with most LCDs so it was not a big surprise, but it has to be compensated for when calibrating. This was tested at the stock coloring and with the Color Tone (color temperature) at Off. The Magic Tune system does not use a true color temperature setting rather a scale of Warm to Cool. Our testing was aiming at a color temperature of 6500 K, which it was rather difficult to get to from the stock temperature of 6738 K. Though the 970P’s color always looks very good, it is not particularly accurate and it can be tough to get right where it should be. This means the monitor is very good for general use, gaming, and applications along those lines, but if you want to do graphic design it is not the best choice.

Conclusion

After spending some time with Samsung’s 970P it is hard not to grow attached to this display. The impressive base and the improved LCD panel both are some of the finest available to consumers at the moment. The base will definitely be the right choice if you are looking to impress a client or turn some heads, but it is functional as well. The triple hinge design is something Samsung has needs for some time- a way to add more height adjustment and maneuverability to its high end displays without sacrificing style. The LCD panel will not be making headline for any of its specifications, they all have been done before, but the aggregate of these numbers is what is important. Very few LCD monitors have been able to pull off the high contrast ratio as well as a quick response time, and good viewing angles.

I was very happy with the performance of the 970P. During both work and play the monitor was able to produce a very good picture, whether was staring at my operating system’s desktop or gaming. The high constrast ratio gives the panel the sharp picture which is so often lacking in lower-end displays and is a major part of the 970P’s success. As for the Magic Tune system, I have to say that I have become a fan. Many users will lament the loss of buttons and a traditional OSD, but this system is easy and fast. The only problem with it is if you are using a full screen application which cannot be closed you will not be able to open Magic Tune unless if you set a keyboard hotkey to it. As for Magic Color, I am still not completely sold. I like the coloring it lends to videos and gaming but for general use, I still can’t get used to the oversaturation or tinting. When using it, I prefer to put it in Magic Zone mode so that only the moving picture will be affected.

Overall, the 970P is a sizable step forward in display technology. It is currently available at a considerable cost premium over other 19″ LCD monitors, but if you want its mix of style and substance you are going to have to pay for it. Few displays this year are going to be able to match it in overall quality so it could be worth the investment, but this is not an easy call to make. Aside from the price the display has relatively few shortcomings. The footprint is rather large and no wall mounting accessories are included, but a more important issue is that is can generally only accept one input signal. This is a feature which almost all LCD display have, and is a great way to save money and space if you are using two computers in one area.

Speak Your Mind

zoransohrid

The triple hinge that supports the screen of the Samsung 970p monitor and connects it to its swivel base does not support the screen. The screen simply rests against the table top and can not be raised. The center hinge is frozen in this position and I am afraid to apply too much force for fear of breaking the darn thing.
Question: Is it possible to open the hinges and repair them in some way? It is a beautiful device and I would like to have it working again. Many thanks, zoransohrid@gmail.com